Package-wrapping machine



1931- J. P. ALDRICH ETAL 5 1,791,153

' PACKAGE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed llay 2a, 1928 7 sheeis sheet 1 J. P. ALDRICH ET AL PACKAGE WRAPPING MACHINE Feb. 3-, 1931.

Piledjlay 2a. 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwoewl o u no o QQ/ ll I! Feb. 3, 1931.-

J. P. ALDRICH ETAL PACKAGE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed May 2a. 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet s gwni ou Feb. 3,' 1931. y .1. P. :ALDRICH ET AL 1,791,153

\ PAcKAiGE WRAPPING MACHINE- 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 28. 1928 Mimi Feb. 3, 1931. J. P. ALDRICH ET AL 1,791,153

PACKAGE WRAPPING MACHINE I Filed May 2a. 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 3, 1931. J. P. ALDRICH ET AL 1,791,153

PACKAGE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed May 28, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 111 m mg mg;

Feb. 3, 1931.

J. P. ALDRICH ET AL PACKAGE WRAP? ING MACHINE ea A,v

HEJEL aa 'r Filed May 28.- 1928 ITEJL 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 garine,

ly packaging a definite number of these Patented Feb. 3,

j Mar sa I un TED STA- s ATENT orri JOHN 1'. ALDRICH AND HO ARD A. monms, on TOLEDO, onto, nssmnons TO THE AUTOMAT MOLDING & FOLDING comrnmr, or. TOLEDO, 0310,11 conrona'rron on OHIO Application filed Iliay 28',

This invention relates to machines for wrapping and packagin articles, butmore particularly for a mac ine for wrapping quarter pound units of butter, oleomarand like substances, and subsequent wrapped umts.

Objects of this invention are to provide an article wrapping machine capable of arrang ing a predetermined number of articles in the same plane in aligned and symmetrical order for packaging operation; to provide a machine for automatically and continupusly wrapping a series of quarter pound unlts of butter, oleomar arine, or the like, aligning a predetermine number of wrappin units scribed,

in the same plane, and packaging suc units in a carton to provide unitary packages, each containing a like number of units; to provide novel and efiicient means for operat ngthefeed frame-for progressively advancing the units along the guide, and to produce a machine of the above character having the'new and improved features of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafter de- The invention is shown by 'way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, 1n which:

Fig. 1. is a side elevation of a package wrapping machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine frame showing the drive mechanism for operating the various moving parts;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of a portion of the machine showing the sheet folding mechanism, shift-able box or receiver, and guide for the articles deliveredfrom the receiver;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional elevation-on the line H of Fig. 1,;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the portion'of the machine shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation on the'line 6 6 of Fig. 3;

, Fig. 7 is atop-plan view of the-shiftable. box or receiver with some of the parts broken away, showing the paddle in position prior to advancing the articles from the receiver;

racmen-wnA-rrrne imam 1 2s. swarm. 281,053.

- Fig. 8-isan end elevation of the receiverand paddle shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 4 9 is a. diagrammatic top plan view showing the guide for the butter bars and for purposes of illustration, comprises a packagewrapping machine which is particularly adapted to wrap individual units of butter, oleomargarine and the like, the units being in the form of'elongate rectangular bars of quarter pound size; and after wrapping each unit to arrange a predetermined number of such units in .the same plane, as for example, a pair of units side by side, and in end relation to another pair of units providing a symmetrical and aligned arrangement. Thereafter, each set of articles as so arranged,

are packaged in a carton so that as delivered.

from the machine, eachset of individually wrapped articles are neatly packed in a carton ready for delivery.

In this connection, reference is had to our Patent No. 1,57 3,024, granted February 16th, 1926, which is somewhat similar to the present machine. In that patent we have shown a horizontal table, on which butter bars, each of quarter pound size, are placed, and progresslvely advanced thereover to one end thereof.

At that end the bars are delivered one at a time to a vertically movable receiver, which moves downwardly into alignment with anare advanced.

In the present construction, 'a similar receiver. 1 is shown, although the mechanism for vertically and recurrently reciprocating the same is omitted as being unnecessary to the understanding of this invention. 'As above mentioned, the receiver 1, with a butter bar X, is lowered to the plane of a guide 2, and when in alignme'ntwith the guide, a ram other guide, along which the individual bars or plunger 3, preferably having aface of maple, advances-the bar X along the guide to engage a sheet 4 of light flexible material, which is fed into the path ofme'ment of the bar X with a portion extending above the guide and an equal portion below the guide. A suitable feeder, for automatically delivering sheets 4 into the pathof movement of the advancing butter bar, is shown and described in our above patent, and it is not deemed necessary to illustrate or further describe such means.

Continued movement of the plunger 3 shoves the butter bar X into the sheet 4, and advances the butter bar and sheettotop and bottom guide plates 5, which fold the sheet over the bottom and top side of the butter bar. The plunger 3 continues to advance the butter bar and moves the same to mechanism 6, which folds theupper and lower portions of the wrapping sheet projecting beyond the ends of the butter bar into engagement with the ends thereof so that after the butter bar advances past the mechanism'6, the bar is wrapped on three sides, leaving marginal portions of the Wrapping sheet projecting rearwardly beyond the upper and lower sides and ends of the bar. Detail description of the end folding mechanism 6, above referred to, is given in our above patent, and as it forms no part of the present invention, further explanation is not considered essential.

The plunger 3 advances the partially wrapped butter bar X slightly beyond the endfolding mechanism 6, and thenrecedes to engage another bar delivered to the region of the guide 2 by the receiver 1 for repeating the above operation. After the plunger 3 has receded, horizontal reciprocating sidefolding plungers 7 are concommitantly moved toward each other to fold the end projecting portions of the wrapper sheet over the rear side of the bar.

The folding plungers 7 are reciprocable in guides 8 mounted on the machine frame 9,

and each plunger has an outwardly projecting pin 10 extending into a. vertically elongate slot 11 formed in one arm of a bell crank 12. The bell crank 12 is mounted on vPivoted to the opposite end of the bell crank 12 is an operating rod 14, the movement of which imparts horizontal reciprocating movement to its plunger 7 through the connections described.

- cessively, and the lower finger 16 operatesfirst. The finger 16 is pivoted to one end of an arm 17, the opposite end of which is fix edly pivoted to the machine frame at 18. A depending rod 19 is pivoted to the lever 17 intermediate its ends, and operates the same. A link 20 pivoted at 21 to one end of the finger 16 and to a fixed point 22 on the ma? chine frame enables the finger to have substantially rectilinear movement.

After the finger 16 has completed its folding operation, the finger 15 moves downwardly for folding over the marginal portion of the sheet projecting from the upper side of the butterbar. The finger 15 is pivoted at 23 to one end of a lever 24, which has its opposite end fixedly pivoted at 25 to a suitable bracket on the machine frame. Pivoted to the lever 24 intermediate the ends thereof, is a rod 26, which depends therefrom and operates the same. The finger 15 is held to rectilinear movement by a link 27 pivoted at 28 to an extension of the finger 15 and at 29 to a fixed point on a bracket carrying the arm 24 and directly above the pivot 25.

' The fingers 15 and 16 and plunger 7 are driven from a single shaft 30, which extends longitudinally of the machine frame, and has hearing at one end in a sleeve 31 mounted on the frame, the opposite end being mounted in a journal 32. Connected to the outer end of the shaft 30 is a bevel gear 33 meshing with a bevel gear 34, which is carried by a transverse shaft 35. sprocket and chain connection 36 with a shaft 37. On the shaft 37 is a relatively small gear 38 meshing Witha relatively large gear 39 carried by a main power shaft 40.

The shaft'35 has a Each of the rods 14, 14, 19 and 26, above referred to, for operating the reciprocatory I folding plungers and vertically movable folding fingers, are provided with straps 41 encirclingthe shaft-30, androllers 42 engageable with cams on the shaft 30. Operation of'the cams and cam straps and rolls will readily be understoodby those skilled in this art, and, as shown, cams 43, '44, 45 and 46 are provided respectively-for the .rods 19, 14, 14 and 26, the shape of the cams vbein so,

chosen as to secure the operation of the olding fingers and plungers as above described. As diagrammatically shown in Figs. 10 to 12, after a sheet has been completely folded.

about a butter bar X by means of the side folding plungers and fingers 15 and 16, another butter bar will have been advanced by the plunger 3 to the region of the folding plungers and fingers,and this bar crowds or shoves the preceding bar forwardly with the forward longitudinal face of the succeeding bar abutting the rear longitudinal face of the preceding bar .and holding the foldededges of the wrapping sheet in place.

' In advance of the folding plunger 7 at a.

distance approximately equal to the thickness of the butter bar, is positioned a box or receiver 47, onto. which the preceding wrapped butter bar is moved- The receiver 47 is of inverted U-shape, and consists of a top wa1l48 and depending end walls 49. Secured of the end walls.

to the underside of the end walls 49 are guide strips 50, on which the end-portions. of the butter bars rest.

The receiver 47 is divided into two compartments. or sections, by a partition 51,

which is secured to the top wall 48, and depends therefrom. As shown, the partition or dividing wall 51 has pointed ends 52 to prevent tearing of the wrapping sheets or damage to the butter bars X when the latter are moved onto the receiver. Fixed to the lower end of the partition51 is a'guide strip 51, which extends on opposite sides of the partition, and serves to support end portions of butter bars delivered thereto. I

Spring means are provided for holding the butter bars in place on the receiver 47, and

for this purpose spring plates 53 are secured by screws 54 to the end walls of the receiver, and extend inside the receiver and have their opposite ends 55 bent around the front edges I The springs 53 are substantially of the same height as that of the end walls, and while theydo not exert a great amount of tension, they are sufficient to hold the butter bars delivered to the re-.'

ceiver in proper position.

The-receiver 47 is capable of accommodat-,

ing fourwrapped butter bars X, two bars being arranged on each side of the dividing wall 51. In each compartment thebars are Rising from opposite ends of the top wall 48 of the receiver are pairs of bosses 56, through which guide rods 57 extend, the latter being mounted in brackets 58 on the machine frame. It is apparent that the receiver 47 is-capable of shifting or moving transversely of the machine frame on. the guide bers rods 57, and when in one position, onesection or compartment of the receiver aligns the path of movement of the butter bars X'.

The receiver '47 is recurrently shifted trans- Y versely of the path of movement of the butter bar'X, and in timed relation to their movement in such. manner that after two butter bars have been delivered 'orfed to the receiver, the latter is shifted horizontally to position the other section or compartment of the receiver in alignment with the path of movement of the butter-bars so that. additional bars may be fed to the otherportion of the receiver.

The mechanism for effecting the shifting movement of the receiver comprises a link 59, which is pivoted at one end to cars 60 rising from the central portion of the re ceiver 47 ,.and at its other-end to one arm of a bell crank 61. The bellcrank 61 is pivoted to -a bracket62 mounted on the machine frame, and a'rod 63 is pivoted to the other arm of the bell crank 61. The rod 63 is connected-at its lower end to a strap 64 which surrounds a; shaft 65 carrying cams 66. The cam 66 engages a roller 67 on the strap 64 for actuating the rods 63in a well' known manner.

On one end of the shaft 65 is a spur. gear 7 68, which is connected through suitable gearing to a shaft 69, which is in parallel relation to the shaft 65, and on which .is a bevel gear 7 0.- The bevel gear 70 meshes with another bevel gear 71, which is carried bya vertically disposed shaft, the lower end of which is connected by bevel gears72 to the main drive shaft 40. Through the connece tions described, the cam 66, which serves'to operate the receiver 47, rotates at one fourth the speedof the cams mounted on the shaft 30 to enable thebutter bars to be properly wrapped and delivered to the receiver in the manner above described.

As diagrammatically illustrated in Fig.

.13, after two wrapped butter bars X have beenvdelivered to one compartment of the receiver 47, the latter is shifted horizontally to position the other sectibn or compartment v of the receiver in the path of movement of the butter bars. Thereafter, as shown in Fig.

14, another wrapped butter bar is movedupon the receiver, and when the nextsucceeding butter bar has been completely wrapped, that butter'bar is also moved onto the receiver, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. Then, the four butter bars on the receiver are advanced as a unit along guide mem- At the outer sides of the guides73. are plates 74, which are forced yieldinglyin+ wardly against the bars by. plungers 76,

against which coil springs 77 operate. Fur-v ther to retain the bars in proper position on the guide 73, top plates 78 engage the upper sides thereof, and are yieldingly held in engagement with the bars by coil springs 79, the platesj 8 having limited movement on pins 80. Transverse bars 81 provide mountings for the pins 80.

The opposite pairs of butter bars X, as

1 advanced along the guides 73, have their j uX- taposed ends held apart from each other by a guide 82, the rearward end portion 83 of which is pointed, and from that portion to the forward end the opposite sides of the guide gradually converge to substantially a point so that as the bars are advanced along the guides 73, the spring pressed side plates 74 keep the-bars in engagement with the central guide'82, and when the bars are brought together, after passing the guide 82, their engagement is gradual and gentle so as not to injure the bars and prevent .unfolding of the ends of the wrapping sheets.

For progressively advancing the butter bars X, after the wrapping thereof is completed, a substantially U-sh'aped feed frame 84 is provided with paddles 85, 86, 87, 88 and 89. The movement of the feed frame 84 is somewhat similar to the feed frame shown and described in our above identified patent, and is indicated by the dotted lines" 90 on Fig. 2. Horizontal swinging movement is imparted to the frame 84 by a link 91, which is pivoted at one end to the central portion of the feed frame, and at the opposite end to an arm 92 having a strap 93 surrounding the power shaft 40.

The lower end of the strap 93 is fixedlypivoted at '94 tothe machine frame. Fixed to the power shaft is an eccentric 95, which operates against the strap 40 for swinging the same.

During the horizontal swinging movement "imparted to the frame 84, the latter is moved vertically to position the paddles to engage the butter bars during the forward movement of the feed frame, and is moved downwardly out of engagement with the butter bars during the receding movement of the feed frame. For this purpose arms 95 and 96 are pivoted to opposite end portions of the feed frame and the lower end of the arm 95 is pivoted to one end of a bell crank 96, which has a The other arm 'of the .bell crank 96 is pivoted to a rod 98, which has a strap 99 at the lower end thereof embracing the power shaft 40. A cam 100 on the power shaft 40 engages a roller 101 onthe rod 98 for imparting reciprocatory movements thereto. -'Fixedto move with the bell crank 96 is an arm 102, which is connected .by a horizontal rod 103, with one end of a bell crank 10 1 having a fixed pivot 105 in the machine frame. The opposite end of the bell crank 104 is pivoted to the arm 96.

From the above description it is apparent that the cam 100 rocks the bell crank 96, WhlCl1 imparts upward or downward movement to the feed frame 84. In this manner the feed memes frame 84: is conj ointly connected for operation to the cam 100, and during the horizontal swinging movement of the feed frame, upward and downward movement is imparted thereto.

e In the operation of the feed frame 84, the

106, and the paddle 85 is formed with fingers 'to register with portions 106, so that there is no liability of the wrapping sheet unfolding from thebutter bar. The paddle 85 advances the final butter bar for the receiver 17 to the latter, together with the preceding bar, and then moves all four butter bars as a unit from the receiver to the guide 7 3 to the position shown in Fig. 17. The feed frame 84 then recedes moving the paddle 85 away from the aligned butter bars.

In the next advancing movement of the feed frame, the paddle 86 engages the set of. butter bars and moves them as a unit into engagement with a carton C, which has been previously fed into the path of movement of the bars. The carton may be of the cardboard type suitably formed to package four butter bars. The mechanism for feeding the cartons to position is not shown, nor will description thereof be given, as this forms no part of this invention. Continued movement of the paddle advances the carton and butter bars for initial carton folding operation, as described in our above mentioned patent. The remaining paddles 87, 88 and 89 continue the progressive movement of the carton and bars until the carton is completely closed about the bars.

Attention is called to Fig. 9, which diagrammatically shows the guide 107, over which the grouped butter .bars are advanced after they leave the guide 73. It will be observed that there is no intermediate sup ort for the inner ends of each pair of butter Bars advanced as a unit thereover. In order to ple and eflicient machine for individually wrapping articles, arranging a predetermined number of articles in the same plane, and subsequently packaging each set of articles so arranged, the machine operating automatically and continuously, and it being merely neecssary for the operator to deliver articles in an unwrapped condition to the machine and the latter delivering a package containing a predetermined number of ar-.

ticles arranged in the same plane and in alignment with each other.

It is to be understood that the above is given by way of illustration and not of limitation, and numerous changes may 'be made in details of construction, arrangement and operation without departing from the invention, especially as defined in the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection withthe packaging of butter bars, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but is .of much broader purview.

What we claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: w 1. In an article wrapping machine, article feeding means, a receiver for accommodating articles in horizontally aligned relation, and means operable in timed relation to said feeding means for recurrently oscillating moving said receiver to present one part or anotherto said feeding means.

2. In an article wrapping machine, article feeding means, a receiver for accommodating a divisible number of articles, and means operable in timed relation to said feeding means to horizontally shift said receiver in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

for distributing articles equally on each side thereof.

3. In an article wrapping machine, article feeding means, a receiver for accommodating a predetermined number of articles, and means operable in timed relation to said feedin means for horizontally and recurrentlyshifting said receiver in one direction and then in the opposite direction for distributing articles thereon.

4. In an article wrapping'machine, a receiver for a plurality of articles, means for delivering articles to said receiver, and means alignment.

for imparting relative oscillating movement to saidreceiver, and delivering means for successively delivering one or more articles to one portion of said receiver and then to another portion thereof.

5. In an article wrap ing machine, a receiver for a plurality 0 articles, means for feeding articles to said receiver, and means for causing relative horizontal movement of said receiver and feeding means to deliver:

a part of the articles to one side of said receiver'and then to the other side thereof, thereby to position the articles on said receiver in horizontal alignment.

6. In an article wrapping machine, a receiver for a plurality of articles, means for feeding articles to said receiver, and means for .recurrently oscillating said receiver hori-' zontally with respect to said feeding means for positioning articles thereon in horizontal 7. In an article wrapping machine, a receiver to accommodate elongate rectangular articles in end-to-end relation, delivery means for feeding articles to said receiver,

and means recurrently to impart relative horizontal shifting movement in one direc:

tion and then in the opposite direction bea divisible number of bars to said receiver,

and means recurrently to impart relative horizontal'shifting movement between said receiver and delivery means in one direction and, then in the opposite direction in timed relation to the feeding movement for arranging said barsin horizontal alignment with an equal number on each side of said receiver.

, 9. In an article Wrapping machine, a receiver, means for advancing articles to said receiver, meansoperable in timed relation to said advancing means fOIYSlllftlIlg' said receiver at substantially right angles to the path of'said articles to position said receiver for receiving additional articles, thereby to position two sets of articles on said receiver, guide means in advance of said receiver, and means to move said sets from said receiver along .said guide means.

said receiver is adapted to align after shifting, and means to force both sets simultaneously from said receiver along said guides. 11. In an article wrapping machine, a receiver to accommodate a divisible number of articles, means for feeding one-half the number of articles to said receiver, means to shift said receiver'into position to receive additional articles from said feedingmeans, said feeding means being operable to deliver additional articles to the'region of said receiver,

and means for delivering the final article to said receiver and for advancing all articles 'onsaid receiver as a unit therefrom.

12. In an article wrapping machine, a receiver to accommodate a plurality of sets of articles, means for delivering one set of articles to said receiver, means to impartrelative. shifting movement between-said receiver and dellvery means to recelve another set of articles, .said delivery means being operable to deliver the final article of said last set to the region of said receiver but not directly thereto, and means for advancing said sets as ,a unit from said receiver.

13. In an article wrapping machine, a guide, means for advancing articles along said guide, a receiver to which articles are delivered'by said advancing means, means to shift said receiver during operation of said advancing means, and means separate from said advancing means to engage the final article for. said receiver on said guide, to move same onto said receiver and propel the articles on the receiver as a unit therefrom,-

14a In an article wrapping machine, a receiver to accommodate a plurality of sets of articles, meansoperable step by step for delivering individual articles of one set to said receiver, means to impart relative shifting movement between said receiver and deliver-. ing means after the first set has been delivered thereto, said delivering means being further operative to deliver articles of a second set to said receiver is alignment with said first set, and means to advance both sets as a unit from sa1d rece ver.

, 15. In an article wrapping machine, a receiver to accommodate two sets of articles, means to deliver individually articles of one set to said receiver, means to impart relative shifting movement between said receiver and delivering means, said delivery means being operable partially to deliver individual articles of the other set to said receiver, and means to complete delivery of said second set to said receiver so that the articles of said sets are arranged in horizontal alignment on said receiver.

In testlmony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification.

JOHN P. ALDRICH. .HUWARD A. MORRIS. 

